Junk DNA in birds may hold key to safe, efficient gene therapy

For many genetic diseases, disabling or editing a gene using CRISPR is insufficient to overcome the effects of the underlying genetic mutation. A corrective gene needs to be added to the genome to fix the problem. Researchers have discovered a way to use a bird retrotransposon -- a type of junk DNA -- to insert whole transgenes into the human genome in a targeted way that does not risk damaging other genes.

For many genetic diseases, disabling or editing a gene using CRISPR is insufficient to overcome the effects of the underlying genetic mutation. A corrective gene needs to be added to the genome to fix the problem. Researchers have discovered a way to use a bird retrotransposon -- a type of junk DNA -- to insert whole transgenes into the human genome in a targeted way that does not risk damaging other genes.

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